Chronicles of Emilia
by mca898
Summary: Expect the unexpected, people would say. Even though I believed I had control over my life, one accident made me realize that fate enjoys to prove me wrong. This is my story, another tale woven into the threads of history, some of which should've been left unknown. Of war between two groups of people whose actions have tipped the delicate balance of this world. This is now my fate
1. Prologue

**Hi to anyone who happens to read this :) this is my very first fan fic which takes place a little earlier than the events in the game. English really isn't my strong suit, but ever since i started playing assassins creed 2, I fell in love with the story and the adventure. I'm currently playing the game right now, so i apologize in advance if I've left things or events out. Also, i'd appreciate reviews and constructive criticism, and to any of those who speak fluent Italian, I'm sorry if my later chapters have sentences and phrases that don't make sense or needs correcting. Please let me know how of any more accurate or concise translations so I can fix and improve the story. Thank you :D  
**

**PROLOGUE**

"Did you pack your toothbrush and toothpaste?" my mom asked as my dad pulled out the car from the driveway.

"Yup, got them right here," I answered as I rummaged through my backpack.

"And you've got your passport and airline ticket? Now promise me you will never let those documents out of your sight, if something happens…."my mom continued on.

"Yes mom, calm down, don't worry I promise I won't let them out of my sight, beside I double-checked everything. It'll be fine." I assured her. My mom looked over her shoulder and smiled back at me. I mean I understood why she needed to be uptight since, by later this afternoon I'll be half way across the Atlantic on route to the beautiful country of Italy.

"Oh, I'm totally calm, it's your dad here who needs all the reassurance," my mom answered gesturing to my father, who was abnormally quiet in the driver's seat. I smiled; she was right though, among the two of them, my father tended to be more paranoid and at times high strung. But I can't blame him, for as long as I can remember my dad has always been the conservative father and sole factor to my sheltered childhood. But those years are in past. I'm 19 years old now and this trip to Italy with my best friend would add to my list of first-time experiences in this new adult world. Though the transition from my sheltered adolescent years to adulthood will, without a doubt, harness many difficulties from now and into the future, I tried to remain optimistic and resilient to the adversity. Note: I try, but I still have a lot of doubts. Nonetheless, those worries were easily overpowered by the sheer excitement and overwhelming happiness I felt as i yearned to jump on that plane and leave this small city.

"Mary, I wish I could go with you too. I want to see the Roman Coliseum and I those old ruins…oh and that other building. Right, didn't you say you'd be stopping over Paris? I want to see the Eiffel Tower too!" exclaimed my motor-mouth of a brother beside me. My brother has this adept interest in architecture, especially buildings and of course cars. And quite frankly, Europe is indeed loaded with all his interests. But to his disappointment, being a fifth grader, he remained closely attached to good, old home base.

"Let me know when you happen to have three thousand dollars and for sure we'll go to all those places and see all those really nice cars." I teased.

"That'll take, like, more than 10 years!" He whined.

"Exactly." I answered sarcastically. My brother shrugged upset. Don't get me wrong, I love my brother to death, but, well, our behaviors of affection and endearment involve a lot of teasing and annoying habits, to the dismay of my parents. And usually our crazy antics results with either one of us vegetating in our rooms to let the anger subside.

I nudged him, "I promise I'll get you a souvenir from each place I go too, and maybe snacks too." I told him. My brother, unlike most boys his age, has the biggest appetite than any normal 11 year old kid really should have.

"Okay." He agreed with a half-hearted nudge. As the car drove down the highway to the airport, I gazed out the window and stared at the familiar city lights and the sounds of cars going about their early morning commute. The sun gradually began to peer over the blue mountains and crisp morning air cast itself across my face. This day was going to be perfect. Here was my family who eagerly insisted to see me off and who I love so dearly that despite, the struggles and mistakes from the year before, everything was going well. I couldn't be more wrong.

As my thoughts drifted to my hopeful and exciting plans in Italy, I suddenly heard a loud electronic chime, similar to the hum and tune of a computer downloading some form of illegal content. Come on, not everyone downloads from iTunes. I spun my head from left to right to see where this electronic humming was coming from, my eyebrows furrowed together in confusion.

"Did you hear that?" I asked.

"Hear what?" replied my brother. I shifted in my seat and slouched a little closer to the space between my parent's front seats. The sound continued to grow louder.

"What is it Mary?" my mom asked. I was just about to answer her when my mom suddenly yelled.

"PAUL LOOK OUT!"

Instantly my entire body jerked violently to the right and within a split second I crashed into the side door, as though I was hit by a speeding car. Our car somersaulted across the asphalt and I, being the genius that I was, neglected to put on my seat belt. Disorientated I had no time to think as my entire body continued to collide against the sides of the car like a rag doll in the dryer. Suddenly everything stopped. Still dazed and in pain, I groggily attempted to focus my eyes to the layout in front of me. I couldn't believe what I saw. Before me, the entire environment around me was frozen, as though everything was set on pause then played gradually in slow motion. Shards of glass dispersed throughout the interior of the car, each suspended in mid-air. As my vision slowly cleared, I could see droplets of blood everywhere. To my horror, these droplets of blood drew from the cuts that appeared across the faces of my loved ones around me. Among the devastation, I immediately recognized a strange object which clearly didn't belong. A golden sphere decorated with intricate lines emitted sparks of gold light as it rolled around in the air. As I continued to regain my focus, the spherical object was completely devoured by blinding white light and then there was only darkness.

Life moves in mysterious and ways, and I always thought I could control it.

_"If you do not expect the unexpected you will not find it, for it is not to be reached by search or trail."_

_Heraclitus_

**This was just the prologue, but I'm sure people who have played the game will recognize some things in the next chapter. Please review and let me know what you guys think so far.**


	2. Chapter 1

**CHAPTER ONE**

Gusts of wind lapped loudly in my ears, echoing through my skull. It was cold and my hair viciously slapped against my sullen face. I didn't know what was going on, but I was aware that I was falling. Falling. Falling. I was paralyzed and my stomach seemed as though it was reaching into my throat. I managed to open my eyes only to squint at the painful glare of the sun. Its cliche, but people often say that at the moment of a near-death experience, one would see their lives flash before their eyes. Some say due to chemical processes in the brain, while others say the truth of our lives are being absorbed in preparation for the next life. But there was nothing. My mind was blank and that scared me. But considering the circumstances, that would be quite an understatement since gravity was pulling me to my apparent demise and I couldn't do anything. For a split moment, I felt myself lose consciousness, when suddenly a loud _whoosh_ sound followed by pang of absolute pain. As I made sense of my surroundings, I felt the itchy and prickly feeling of what seemed like soft, long blades of grass which smelled sweet with a mix of old wood. I opened my eyes.

_Grass? No…hay? Where am I? A farm?_

**"Hey Federico, did you see that?" said a young man, as he pointed to the edge of a nearby building.**

**"See what _fratellino_? Another beautiful woman I suppose?" answered the other man, named Federico, with a smile. The younger brother, who had dark brown hair tied behind his head with a red ribbon and wore a dark blue vest with a white long-sleeved shirt, shook his head with a smirk. Federico was garbed in an orange tunic with dark blue sleeves turned to his brother while crossing his arms.**

**"Beautiful women are easy to find in Firenze," the younger brother answered, "It's just that I thought I saw something fall from the sky just now and into that pile of hay just over there." Federico followed his brother's gaze to the hay stack across the piazza of Santa Maria del Fiore.**

I gently shifted my weight to the side and rolled over. It took all the effort I had to push up the deadweight of my sore body up, at the same time avoiding the hay from entering my eyes. I poked my head outside the pile of hay, only to recoil from the blinding sunlight. I looked around as my eyes tried to adjust to the change in brightness.

_What the hell…_

No. It's impossible. Where am I? My eyes grew wide like saucers while my mouth gawked in disbelief at scene before me. It looked like a central square of sorts, where people would just socialize or enjoy the scenery. But the people here wore elegantly embroidered clothing that I have only seen in renaissance paintings and history books of post Middle Ages. The women were draped in elegant dresses that swept the stone-dirt street, their faces lined by expensive headpieces and cloth. The men wore coloured breeches and doublets with capped wings over large billowy shirts that were fastened by a belt and wore feathered caps on their heads. All these people paced around in all directions, while others stood in groups chatting away in a language that definitely wasn't English.

"_Salute Signore Rossi come va la vita?" _

_S'cusi signor, qual è il prezzo?_

_Come è gentile da parte tua!_

Italian. Wait. I'm in Italy, how did I get here? As I tried to recall the events leading to this bizarre situation, I noticed a group of women staring at me from the corner of my eye. Not far from them was a person covered entirely in dark clothes wearing a long cape who sported a strange mask in the shape of bird's beak. I turned to them as they whispered to each other rather loudly, which kind of defeated the purpose of whispering.

…_è strano che. Che __Strana ragazza._

_Perché lei è lì dentro?_

_Uscite di lì!_

_Fuori di li!_

I had no idea what they were saying, but from the tone of their voice they clearly didn't want me around. As I slowly dragged myself out, I felt something tangled around my wrist. I push through the hay only to find, to my surprise, my backpack which ended up just as misplaced as I was in this extraordinary situation. I threw my backpack over my shoulders and proceeded forward past the noisy group of women next to me, utterly ignoring the magnificent and ornate white structure across from me. I had no idea where I was going, and no amount of logic or reasoning could explain what was happening. The memories of the accident flashed in my head. Oh god, my family. What the hell happened? I stiffened from the pain that shot through my body. But it wasn't just the physical pain; my hands grew clammy as made them into a fist, emotionally distraught. I shook uncontrollably with the sudden realization, that wherever I was, the present condition of my own family remained unanswered.

_We were all in accident. Was it a drunk driver? A speeding car maybe? _ I recalled the tossing and turning as our car somersaulted across the road. Then it happened. I stopped walking. My breathing quickened then shallow and uneven as I fought back tears that whelmed my eyes. It was rare for someone like me to cry. For years I refused to show weakness to anyone, so I trained for years to turn those weaknesses and fears into violence. But over time it came to a point that everything became too overwhelming. those emotions and frustrations I kept bottled up inside me, turned my controlled and arrogant lifestyle, into a spiral of depression and confusion.

So I ran, bumping into a number of people who only answered in Italian, though I could care less since I didn't understand anything. After a while, I collapsed unto a stone bench, the men beside me just stared as I grovelled at my own self-pettiness. I angrily rubbed the tears from my cheeks. No. I can't break down like this. I needed to find a way home. I needed to go back to my family somehow. I took a deep breath and squared my jaw in the same way I would before a match.

_Concentrate Mary. Focus. Yeah, you have no idea where the hell you are but hey, there has to be some kind of explanation. Maybe it's like those special Italian festivals where people get dressed up and celebrate something like the Venice masquerade carnival. Or perhaps on the set of some Italian movie and you're on location. Man, these people take their job really seriously, I mean the foundation and architecture here is amazing._

After a moment of composing myself I suddenly stood up. The surprised men turned to towards me and gasped, as if they weren't baffled enough as it is. I looked down at my black Converse, caked with mud. I still wore the same clothes from the accident, a plain black t-shirt, grey hoodie and a dark brown leather jacket. Not much to look at, but it definitely was trending here. I needed to find clothes to make me less conspicuous. I looked around and I suddenly took notice of the place around me. It was absolutely beautiful. The buildings were made up of stone and bricks, while others were painted with splashes of vibrant tan and brown. Others were decorated with intricately designed windows and doors while vines cascaded down the sides of the building. The roofs were mostly made up of light red and brown shingles that spouted small chimneys from the top. Above me I saw ropes that connected from rooftops. Next to it were scaffoldings and what looked like a wooden crane which held timber high above the city street. The city itself was so vibrant and full of life, that despite the fact that I had no clear idea on where I was or how I get here, I was in Italy. The edge of my mouth turned into a small smile.

_Right, I've got to get some clothes._ As I wandered down the center of the street, I observed the scene around me attempting to comprehend where I was, and wondered if I was even in the year 2012. To one side I heard the clinking and clanging of a blacksmith shop, where I noticed an array of armor, swords and knives. Next to them, was a clamoring group of people surrounding what looked like a clothing shop, but filled with a variety of exquisite and detailed patterns of material. As I walked closer to the shop I also made out the less enticing scent of cheap perfume and the stench of people who clearly didn't bathe enough. I approached the shop as the tailor merchant spoke to a nearby customer, but then stopped mid-sentence as I drew closer to the stall.

_Crap. Okay let's use what little Italian I can come up with….jeez_

"_Mi scusi_," I said to the merchant. He eyed me up and down. I can't say but I felt a little insulted. Then he smirked and I instantly saw his expression change from signs of distaste to mockery.

"_Guardare a questa ragazza. Quali terribili abiti che indossa_," the merchant said to the nearby customer.

_Oh I don't think this is gonna go well…._

"_Dove pensi che lei è da_?" the customer replied to the merchant. Okay this isn't gonna go through to them but I should at least try.

"Excuse me, yes sir, I am talking to you. I'd like to know how much that shirt is. " I asked, pointing to the tunic right behind him. The merchant and the man beside him just stared at me with a confused expression.

"Oh never mind," I muttered as the merchant and the man began chatting quizzically in Italian, probably trying to figure out what I was saying. As I walked away from the confused duo, I spotted a white sheet on top of couple of crates.

"Didn't think my money would work there anyway…" I remarked to myself, as I grabbed hold of the white sheet. I tugged at it, but it wouldn't move. I tugged harder.

"Oh come on, I'm in god who knows where and I can't even get a piece of cloth…." Suddenly the sheet slipped off, I stumbled into a man behind me who just happened to be carrying a box of paint. As I turned around to apologize I saw the paint container and various other liquids fly into the air.

"_MERDA!_" roared a male voice. I turned my head to the direction of the voice to see a an unattractive young man with short dark hair wearing dark grey beret with a fancy dark doublet covered with a small cape and detailed matching tights. Man, these people and tights seriously. His face completely distorted as he assessed the paint stains all over his clothes. He suddenly grabbed the older fellow who had been carrying the paint sprawled across the ground. Other men who were also similarly dressed gathered around him.

"_Prego signor Vieri de 'Pazzi, mi dispiace! Perdonami_!" the older man pleaded. The younger man only gripped him closer to his face before pushing him into the ground.

"_Sapete quanto costa questo materiale è? E 'la più bella da Venezia. Ora si pagherà_!" The young man gestured to his posse, who then stalked towards the older man.

_What an asshole. Man, I'm gonna regret this._

"Hey ass wipe. Yeah, you pansy spandex boy!" I called out, I really sucked at creative insults, but I needed to get his attention. The older man on the ground turned his head towards me while the rest of them followed his gaze and just stared. I smirked and walked closer to the leader of the group.

"You probably don't understand what the hell I'm saying, but you should leave that man alone." I ordered. I really shouldn't be doing this, but I couldn't tolerate assholes like this guy and his group of grey spandex pants…

"Are you talking to me _signorina_? The leader of the group asked, narrowing his eyes.

_Oh shit. He understood me. What the hell I thought they all speak Italian here._

"From the looks of your ridiculous attire _signorina,_ I assume you are not from Firenze, and are not accustomed to how things work here. You see, I am a Vieri de'Pazzi, a nobleman of this city and as such I am above all these peasants," the young man explained with a thick Italian accent. He suddenly kicked the older man in the stomach, "But I am willing to overlook your words since you have such a unique and attractive face and I wish for you to spend the evening with me." He came up to me, and I quickly saw every detail of his ugly face, thick eyebrows and all. He was about to reach up and touch my face, when I instinctively grabbed his forearm. I swiftly dragged his arm downwards then twisted it and locked his arm behind his back.

"The only thing spending time with you this evening is this…!" I forcefully pushed him towards the ground, where he instantly face planted the dirt road.

**"Federico did see that over there, that boy in the strange clothes…he took out Vieri in one move, what a sight!" laughed Federico's younger brother as they walked out of a nearby alleyway.**

**"You are quite observant today _fratellino. _Well, he certainly has guts for a small boy to take out Vieri by himself while his followers are around," answered Federico, a hint of concern in his voice.**

**"I still don't understand why anyone would follow him around. It's like following around an ass that won't listen to its master. Besides Vieri de'Pazzi is a coward and an _idiota_, he walks around with his men around him and speaks ill of our family. I swear one of these days…"muttered his younger brother irately.**

I turned to see the speechless expression of Vieri's men as their gaze shifted from their fallen leader to the girl who practically owned him.

"You…YOU BITCH!" yelled Vieri, his enraged face plastered with dirt.

_Ouch. Jeez what an ass._

"What are you _idioti _standing around for! GET HER!" ordered Vieri.

"**Calm down _fratellino_…" before Federico could finish his sentence, he noticed Vieri's men had drawn out their daggers.**

That's when the daggers came out. Now, the burly men in tights suddenly looked a lot less amusing.

_Oh I knew it. I'm in deep shit now._

**"This doesn't look good…we should alert the guards, the boy doesn't have a chance against all of them," Federico suggested turning to his brother.**

I gripped the straps of my backpack firmly. Instantly I spun in the opposite direction and booked it.

_Shit. Shit. Oh shit. What was I thinking…curse my instincts._

**The two young men nodded in agreement then quickly followed Vieri's men into the crowded street.**

I ran down the busy street, dodging people left and right. I quickly checked over my shoulder to see the group of brawny Italian men in tights chasing after me. If wasn't being chased, and if they weren't carrying freaking daggers I would laugh at the sight of them. I soon noticed line of older men in red robes crossing the road a few feet away from me carrying an assortment of books and paper in wooden boxes. Swiftly I shoved one of them over, who then knocked over the next guy. Soon enough pieces of paper and books went flying into the air followed by the crash of the wooden boxes and Italians shouting. I peered over my shoulder, to see that some of the guys tripped over the boxes, but there was still at least three or four them still on my tail. I turned a corner and nearly crashed head first into a towering fully armored man. I quickly spun around him and veered left into another street. I continued to run, but I began to feel my energy drain from my limbs. I turned left again, by this time my arms and legs had gone almost completely numb and my eyesight gradually turned blurry. Abruptly I found myself in a narrow alleyway, and I could still here the shouts and high-pitched sounds of metal crashing loudly against each other. Was Vieri's man fighting someone? Either way it would give me some time to escape. I continued down the alley only to find a dead end.

"Crap…no…a dead end," I swore under my shallow breath. I spun around and began jogging down the direction that I had just come from when I felt my heart drop at sound of boots approaching at the other end of the alley. I retreated back to the dead end and looked up at the high wall in front of me. I began to look around frantically trying to find a way out. In the corner were a stack of wooden crates piled up against the wall. At the top was a narrow ledge located close to the rooftop of an adjacent building. Quickly I climbed up the boxes as the sounds of footsteps drew near. My heart kept beating uncontrollably as I desperately pulled myself up the edge of the roof; the muscles in my arms had gone completely numb from pain.

"Where did she go?" shouted a man from down below.

"Up there!"

_No!_

With the last ounce of my strength I pushed myself up and slowly staggered across the roof.

_Genius. When there's nowhere left to run. Go up of course. What an idiot._

At that precise moment, I felt like one of those blonde bimbos in horror/slasher movies who naively decide to go up to the stairs and into the closest room on the second floor when the serial killer is chasing her. Where else to go, but up, as they say. Well, frankly most of those women either get stabbed by the killer hiding in the attic or die from the sheer drop after jumping off the roof. I wasn't sure why I was thinking this. I guess putting two and two together I kind of figured I was going to end up just like those bimbos. In the corner of my eye I noticed a wooden booth, covered by drapes located on a flat roof next to me. I hastily staggered towards it, as I heard the men grunting as they began climbing up the ledge. Just as I hurled myself into the wooden booth I noticed the heads of my pursuers appear at the edge of the rooftop less than a foot away from me. I gasped once my body painfully contacted the hard wooden floor of the booth. I promptly cupped my hands over my mouth to refrain from verbalizing my agony which could very well be a good signal to let my pursuers know exactly where I was. That is, only if I wanted to be found. I held my breath. I could hear my heart beat madly against my chest and through my ears.

_Please leave. Please leave…_I pleaded silently in my head. I shut my eyes and waited. The silence was agonizing and I felt as though in any second they would open those curtains and grab me then drag me out…

"She just vanished…." said one man.

"Where could she have gone," remarked another.

"Oh, Vieri's going to be pissed when he hears we've let the wretch escape."

"Hey you shouldn't be up here! Get down now!" roared another man from the distance.

"_Merda_, its more those guards. Quick get down! I don't want to go prison!

"What will we tell Vieri when we return to the Palazzo Pazzi?"

"We'll say the girl got shot down by one of the city's archers, now hurry and get down."

I sighed heavily as I heard the men leave the rooftop to the streets below. All of sudden exhaustion overwhelmed me. My whole body grew slack and heavy. I wasn't sure how long I sat there in this small wooden booth, but it didn't take long for me to finally lose consciousness. God I didn't think sleeping would feel so good.

_I was sitting in our family car. It was early morning and I was gazing outside and into the familiar sights of the city. Suddenly_ _I heard a loud electronic chime. I looked around to see where this electronic humming was coming from._

"_Did you hear that?" I asked._

"_Hear what?" replied my brother who sat next to me. He quite tall for a boy his age, but his rounded face was a feature of little boy. I shifted in my seat and slouched a little closer to the space between my parent's front seats. The sound continued to grow louder._

"_What is it Mary?" my mom asked. I was just about to answer her when my mom suddenly yelled._

"_PAUL LOOK OUT!" Instantly my entire body jerked violently to the right and within a split second I crashed into the side door. Our car somersaulted across the asphalt. Suddenly everything stopped. Still dazed and in pain, I groggily attempted to focus my eyes to the layout in front of me. I couldn't believe what I saw. Before me, the entire environment around me was frozen, as though everything was set on pause then played gradually in slow motion. Shards of glass dispersed throughout the interior of the car, each suspended in mid-air. As my vision slowly cleared, I could see droplets of blood everywhere. It was my family's blood. Among the devastation, I immediately recognized a strange object which clearly didn't belong. A golden sphere decorated with intricate lines emitted sparks of gold light as it rolled around in the air. As I continued to regain my focus, the spherical object was completely devoured by blinding white light…._

I jolted suddenly. I gasped as my entire body grew paralyzed from absolute shock.

_What was that? What a horrible nightmare. What's happening….why is my body so sore._ I rubbed my eyes only to find myself in a dark, cramped wooden booth.

_What the…_

Instantly I felt pressure against the side of my arm. I turned to my right to see a person dressed in white, whose face was partly covered by the large hood that went below his eyes. I was about to scream when he immediately clapped his hands against my mouth. I tried to move my arms but they couldn't and instead I ended up simply squirming around thrashing my head left and right. But the hooded figure kept their hands over my mouth and my arms which I had managed to move but refrained to put up a fight, supressed against my chest.

"I am very sorry _signorina_, please do not scream. I have no intention to harm you. I am simply hiding from the archer right outside and I shall leave you be," an older male voice whispered with an Italian accent. I immediately remembered where I was and the crazy order of events that followed after the accident. Of course I didn't believe this guy and I was scared shitless because I could barely move a muscle. If I had my strength back it wouldn't take long for me knock this guy out, but I didn't. All of sudden the man moved a little closer to me, the moonlight that spilled through the curtains illuminated his face. He was an older fellow, probably a few years older than my dad. He had almond-shaped dark brown eyes which dropped slightly at the end. His face was slightly tanned and wrinkled lightly from age while his jaw and nose were strong and angular. Although I initially wanted to beat this guy up right then and there, when I saw his eyes and when he suddenly pleasantly smiled at me those thoughts soon vanished. His eyes showed no illicit or evil intent instead they were soft, warm and most importantly genuinely honest. As he smiled, I thought of my dad who had this simple and pleasant smile that he would often show me when I needed reassurance or confidence. I eased the tension in my hands and I let my body relax, for my instincts told me that this man, whoever he was, was not my enemy.

"Thank you _signorina." _said the man, as he removed his hands from my mouth and shifted to the one end of the wooden booth. Though his attire and his hood were white, his clothes were also lined with red stripes across his torso. The remainder of his outfit was garbed in light amour while a dark cape draped along his left side. He was equipped with a variety of weapons and accessories, such as belt which held a sword and daggers around his side as well as an array of small knives and pouches around his waist. For a second I was worried and had almost thought about defending myself, but then he quickly peered through the curtains and climbed out of the booth. As I struggled to push myself up from my pathetic sitting position, the white hooded man drew open the curtains.

"You should stay inside this rooftop garden until morning, that is when the guards change shifts and for a moment this area will be clear. Within that time, you must find another place to take shelter and find suitable clothes. Try the Palazzo Auditore. You may find someone who can assist you there. But please do not speak of our acquaintance, for I myself am man who is neither seen nor heard and to most ordinary people I therefore do not exist. Stay safe and vigilant young _senora_ and I wish you well. _Buona fortuna."_ The white hooded man bowed then turned and swiftly disappeared into the night.

"So...this thing is a rooftop garden?" I whispered looking around. I leaned against wall of the wooden both and sighed.

**Well I hope you liked this chapter. please review and let me know what you guys think or ways to improve the story. And once again i apologize again if the Italian phrases and sentence are incorrect, I kind of used Google translate for some of them. :p**


	3. Chapter 2

**AC 2 story/fanfic groups **

**Chapter 2**

"ATTENZIONE! IT HAS COME TO THE ATTENTION OF THE SIGNORIA….."

I suddenly lurched forward. My entire body still felt heavy, well rested, but very much sore. I blinked several times as my eyes adjusted to the brightness. I looked around and found myself in a small wooden booth.

_Right. I remember. _I ran my fingers through my hair and sighed. For a moment I thought was back home with my family and that everything that I had experienced from the day before had just been a crazy dream. Much like inception, dreams within dreams. I truly wished it was. Out of curiosity I pinched my arm. I flinched than began counting my fingers. According to this video I watched on Youtube, when people dream, things would appear normal at first but then change drastically and would continue to change and fluctuate as the dream carries on. I pinched my arm again, looked around and recounted my fingers. Everything remained the same.

"Gah…ugh…my back," I exclaimed.

I turned to see that I had worn my backpack for the entire night. Inside my backpack was some of the stuff I had prepared for my trip. An extra shirt, cellphone, Itouch, wallet, gum then I noticed my toothbrush and passport. I immediately remembered my mom reminding me in the car before the accident. My heart sank and I could feel the tears well up. I honestly just wanted to go back to my family. I didn't even know what happened to them after I found myself here. I didn't even know where to start, because frankly I still couldn't fully comprehend what had happened in the past 24 hours. I prudently stood up, and flood of dizziness overcame me. I held my head then noticed a large bulge on the corner of my forehead from the impact of the accident. Thinking about it, I was pretty beat up and needed some medical attention especially for the number of cuts and grazes from both the accident and the skirmish with Vieri's men. The thought of that man made my skin crawl. Then I remembered the white hooded man from last night. I wasn't quite sure what to make of the instructions he had given me, but at least I had some kind of direction. I needed to get to Palazzo Auditore…

I peered through the drapes and saw that the sun was rising over the city. I gasped at the beauty as the sun spilled over the roofs while the tall towers casted long shadows in the distance. I climbed out of the booth and scanned the area before making my way down towards the alleyway from the afternoon before. As I made my way back to the main road, I kept looking out for any of Vieri's men, just in case. I was in no shape to run. The city streets were already full of people. I grabbed a white sheet from a nearby pile of boxes and pulled it over my shoulders and made my way through the crowd. I noticed another man with a beak mask and made my way towards him.

"All who need aid are welcome" said the man. What a coincidence, I definitely needed aid…also an explanation of how I got here. Where exactly is "here"? And oh yeah I desperately needed a bath with a nice glass of iced cappuccino.

"Excuse me I was wondering if you could direct me to Palazzo Auditore?" I asked the man. The man in the beak mask paused for a second to look at me.

"You don't seem to be in very good shape yourself _signorina _do need assistance, I offer medicine and supplies here at a reasonable price," he responded.

"No I'm fine, besides I don't have any money. But I need to find Palazzo Auditore can you show me where to go?" I asked again.

"Palazzo Auditore is not too far from here," he answered. The man gave me the directions. I thanked him and went on my way, trying to recall everything he had just told me.

_Great. I'm lost._

I stopped walking and looked around. None of the places and markers the doctor had instructed was in sight. I sighed heavily and turned around and bumped into a man carrying a box. I've been bumping into a lot of people ever since I got it here, and it was starting to get a little exasperating.

"Oh I'm sorry," I apologized

"Quite alright. No harm done, the streets have gotten a bit busy since I left my workshop and unfortunately I need to carry a lot of things back and forth," a young man answered. He looked about his early twenties, with light brown hair and brilliant blue eyes. He wore a red cap and matching cape. His dark blue clothes seemed a little fancier than those of the people around us, and he carried an assortment of scrolls next to his belt bag. I noticed the box he was carrying was filled with small frames of art pieces and miniature sculptures. All of sudden another man collided into the young fellow in front of me while the box he had been carrying plummeted to the ground.

"_Merda_, my art work!" the young man exclaimed as he quickly reached down to pick up his box. Suddenly he placed his hand to his side and expression of shock filled his blue eyes.

"My money pouch it is gone. _Bastardo, _that other man must've taken it. Ah the earnings I had made for my art pieces are in there!" exclaimed the distraught young man. I wasn't quite sure why, since it wasn't really my business, but I found myself running after the thief. I dodged through the crowd and saw the thief make his way to a pile of wooden boxes. Just as he was about to climb onto the first box, I quickly seized the end of his cloak and dragged him back. The thief tumbled backwards but swiftly stood up. He stared at me, he eyes frantic and in his right hand was a small pouch. His eyes darted to the side and he suddenly snapped on his heels to the right. I drew my leg up to the side and struck him with a roundhouse kick to his torso. I pulled back my leg, as the thief fell backwards letting the small pouch escape from his grasp.

"Stealing isn't right you know," I rebuked. As I reached down to recover the money pouch, I realized the thief was no more than a tall teenage boy. I pulled around my backpack and retrieved a chocolate bar from inside.

"Here, take it. It kind of melted along the way but it still tastes good," I said as I chucked over the chocolate bar. The boy caught it but just narrowed his eyes at me.

"Relax. It's food and I promise it's really good. Oh yeah, and don't even think about stealing from me because I'll make sure to kick you so hard not even the doctors here can save you," I warned him, my voice low and calm. The boy looked at me than gazed down at the chocolate bar in his hands. He gave a slight nod then turned around and disappeared into the crowd.

_I guess he got my point._

I returned back to the artist and handed over his money bag.

"Here's your money back, I don't think that thief will bother you anymore," I said.

"_Grazie! Molte grazie signorina! _I am in your debt. With my money back I can buy the supplies I need for my next painting!" he answered with a twinkle in his blue eyes.

"Ah, where are my manners. My apologies, I haven't even introduced myself." exclaimed the young artist waving his hands in the air.

"My name is Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci. It is an honor and a privilege to have met you _signorina," _he continued with a bow. I blinked and just stood there trying to process what he had said.

_Maybe I misheard him._

"Sorry but could please repeat what you just said. Your name is…?" I asked with a doubtful tone.

"Well most people just call me Leonardo da Vinci," he answered pleasantly. I shook my head. All this time, not once did I bother to ask someone where "here" was or if I somehow managed to…No. It's impossible. Seriously time travel? I've thought about it before, but I tried to convince myself that time travel can't actually happen. But then again, THE Leonardo da Vinci, mastermind behind some of history's greatest works of art is supposedly introducing himself to me, when he lived nearly five hundred years ago. It can't be. I thought Leonardo da Vinci, was well, a lot older and wiser looking with a lot more hair.

"Um…_Signore _da Vinci…" I started.

"Please Leonardo is fine," he insisted.

"_Signore _Leonardo, where am I and what year is it exactly?" I asked slowly.

"Well were currently in the San Giovanni district of Firenze. And the year is 1476, why do you ask?" Leonardo simply replied.

Suddenly a wave of dizziness swept through me. I've been going around the whole city on an empty stomach and I just gave that thief my chocolate bar. I was in desperate need for food and some Tylenol.

"_Signorina, _are you okay? Do you need a doctor?" Leonardo asked worriedly.

"Yeah, I think so. I'm just so dizzy…I haven't eaten for a while," I answered as I squat down with one hand on my head and one on my stomach.

"Come follow me, my workshop is just around the corner. Please rest there, while I go find a doctor to help you," Leonardo implored quickly grabbing his wooden box. I nodded and closely followed Leonardo through Firenze's street.

Soon enough we reached Leonardo's workshop. Upon entering, I could make out a distinct musty scent mixed with the smell of paint and wood. There was also something else, an aroma that I couldn't quite put my finger on, but it didn't smell very good.

"This way, you can rest here. I apologize for the mess. I've been trying out a few new things. Though it didn't turn out as well as I had hoped," said Leonardo as he ushered me through his workshop. It definitely was something, his workshop was indeed a little…well it was really messy, but it was that mad-genius-kind-of-mess. There were so many things all over the place it was hard to focus on just one object. From half painted canvases to peculiar contraptions, maps and other instruments. I settled myself unto a bench covered with layers of blankets. Perhaps Leonardo himself took naps on this bench, but by the looks of things I doubt he even sleeps at all. It must be very interesting to have lived a life of a genius in the Renaissance period. Renaissance Italy 1476, it appears I did time travel after all. How or why, I still don't know, but at least I can cross out Italian movie production and Italian carnival festival from my list of logical explanations.


End file.
